1998 Buell S1 White Lightning Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 Buell S1 White Lightning, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes125.0%
- Engine125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
- Transmission125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE LEVER LIGHTLY TOUCHED AS I WAS GOING INTO THE THE TURN @ 25 MPH, NO BRAKE CONTROL BIKE LEANED INSTEAD OF DOWN, AND I WENT INTO THE DITCH AND FRACTURED MYN PELVIS. THERE ARE 4 KNOW ACCOUNTS OF THE EXACT SAME INCIDENT, ONE WAS BY A DEALER MECHANIC OF WHICH I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE FROM HAD LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE AND BRAKES HE HAD SERVICED. HE HAD A CAR BRAKE INFRONT OF HIM AND HE TOUCHED THE BRAKES A LITTLE AND THE BIKE WENT DOWN, MY BEST FRIEND HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HIM AND I HAVE READ ARTICLES @ WWW.BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM ON SIMILAR INCIDENTS. THE SAME MODELS AND MAKES OF THE EQUIPMENT ARE THE SAME.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
MAIN BELT DRIVE BROKE WHILE MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MOTION..COULD HAVE LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
RECALL 99V106000/SWING ARM, AND 99V107 000/REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS: BOTH RECALLS RECEIVED AND REPORTED TO DEALER, BUT STILL BOTH RECALLS HAVE NOT BEEN HONORED. DEALER IS STILL WAITING FOR PARTS FROM MANUFACTURER. OWNER WISHES FOR DEALER TO REPURCHASE VEHICLE. *ML
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .